A Primitive beginning
Rock climbing was first developed by ancient civilizations in order to survive, including the cave men, Chinese civilizations, and Anasazi natives. First of all, the cave men left drawings high on cliff walls, evidence that they had climbed to escape predators. There is evidence that cave men, and other ancient peoples, climbed cliffs in order to retrieve birds' eggs. Furthermore, dated at around 400 BC, Chinese watercolor paintings depict men scaling cliffs to escape enemies, or find food. However, the most prominent evidence of rock climbing, by ancient civilizations, is by the Anasazi people. They built their homes into the sides of cliffs, in the American Southwest, in order to protect themselves from invaders and the weather. In order to access their home, the Anasazi would have needed to traverse difficult terrain and steep cliffs. This suggests that they would have been proficient in climbing techniques, in order to access their dwellings safely and quickly. Overall, the beginnings of climbing began with the escaping of predators, the finding of food, and the making of complex dwellings.